Lifesaving device



July 2; 1940. s G CARROLL 2,206,160

LIFESAVING DEVICE Filed April 22, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 69%], A9 5 r /7I 52 ATTORNEYS July 2, 1940.. 5 CARROLL 2,206,16U

LIFESAVING DEVICE Filed Apri'l 22, 1959 s Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORATTORNEYS July 2, 1940. I f ARROLL 2,206,160

LIFESAVING DEVICE Filed April 22, 1939 S Sheets-Sheet 3 15277 027flariw/f INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented July 2, 1940 2,206,160 I LIFESAVING DEVICE Simon G. Carroll, Barranquilla, Colombia Application April22, 1939, Serial No. 269,522

6Claiins. The invention relates to a lifesaving device and moreparticularly to a collapsible or foldable floating life carrier.

The primary object of theinvention is the provision of a device of thischaracter, wherein the construction thereof is such that when not inservice will be in a collapsed or folded condition for the convenientstoragethereof at selected places on board a vessel, ship or the like orat docks, wharves or other places for use in an emergencyby the droppingof the same into a body of water so that a person overboard can f bereadily rescued, either by; clinging to such device or climbing insidefor carriage thereby.

sion of a device of this character, wherein on the dropping of the sameinto a body of water it Will automatically become extended and float sothat persons overboard can readily become, rescued to avoid drowning,the device being a float and is, susceptible of carrying suppliesforemergency, aid to those rescued. i

A further object of the invention is the pro- Vision of a device of thischaracter, wherein the construction thereofis novel in its entirety andis susceptible of easy handling for storage there- 1 of or for bringingit into use for lifesaving pur- DOSES.

A still further object of, the invention is the provision of a device ofthis character, which is simple in construction, thoroughly reliable and1 efficacious in operation, susceptible of manual i be hereinafter morefully described, illustrated folding or collapsing and automaticextending,

and inexpensive to manufacture.

With these and other objects in view, the in vention consists in thefeatures of construction; combination and arrangement of parts as willin the accompanying drawings, which disclose the preferred embodiment ofthe invention and pointed out in the claims hereunto appended.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure l is a plan view offa lifesaving device constructed in accordancewith the invention and set up for use.

Figure 2 is a sideview thereof.

Figure 3'is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 ofFigure 1 looking inthe direction of the arrows. i i

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 1 lookingin the direction of the arrows. i

Figure 5 is a plan view of lapsed or folded. v

the device when col- Another object of the invention is the provi-- 1comprises a foraminous carrier body formed with four sidewalls, a dropbottom, being open at its top, and peripherally about this body next toitsopen-top is a continuous laterally outstanding bridge. Each of theside walls involves a metal frame l0 preferably made from piping andmetallic wire mesh covering 1! I, the. frames It being,

hingedl'y connected to each other preferably through loose linkage 12 sothat the side walls can be brought together or extended at right anglesto'each other in the folding or collapsing and in the. setup of thecarrier.

The dropbottom comprises a frame l3 made from piping,having a metal wiremesh covering I4 and is vertically swingable, being hinged to thelowermost portion of one side of the carrier, the hinge connection beinglinkage l5. edge of the drop bottom, which isthe edge of the frameI3opposite the hingedly connected edge with the side wall, has providedthereon keepers I6 engageablewith the lowermost portion of the side walladjacent to the lead edge of the bottom when closed. This drop bottom bygravity lowers from a raised or elevated po- The lead collapsed and suchbottom in its movement swings within the four walls of the, carrier.

The bridge comprises the oppositely disposed swingable long and shortframes I? and I8, respectively, each having wire mesh coverings l9 andthese constitute the flooring to the bridge,

the frames beingnormally disconnected from each other and are hinged tothe side walls of the carrier by linkage 20 so that the same will notinterfere with-the collapsing or folding of the body of the carrierconstituted by said four walls before mentioned. swingablyconnected tothe frames l1 and I8 are guard frames 2I,,\each having a wire meshcovering 22 and said frames 2| are hinged to the frames I! and i8 bylinkage The frames 2| are normally disconnected from eachother so as notto interfere with the folding or collapsing of the sidewalls of the bodyof the carrier. i I

The sidewall frames 10 immediately beneath elements 25 will notinterfere therewith, being swung clear from within the pockets for saidelements, as is clearly shown in Figures 5 and 6 of the drawings. Nowwhen the carrier is extended or automatically sets itself up for use,the buoyant elements 25 move within the pockets therefor, as is clearlyshown in Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 of said drawings. In this position of thebuoyant elements 25, the floor of the bridge restsupon the tops of saidelements while the guard frames at their ends adjacent to each other forthe holding of the said guard frames in an upright or.

perpendicular position can be separably fastened togethenas at 28. Theside walls of the body of the carrier at their uppermost portions con.-stitute an inside guard railing for the bridge when the carrier isextended or set up for use.

By reason of the construction of the bridge and the adjunct swingingconnections thereof with the side walls of the body of the carrier, thesaid bridge can be brought to a folded or collapsed conditionsimultaneously with the folding 'or collapsing of the said body of thecarrier, the

folded condition of the carrier in its entirety being illustrated inFigures 5 and 6 of the drawings,

and such is the normal condition thereof; The carrier, when folded orcollapsed, can be readily dropped in this condition into a body of waterand on dropping thereinthe side walls will 211170." matically becomeextended and by gravity the bottom lowers to a closed position. Thefloor of the bridge can be swung outwardly with respect to the sidewalls of the body of the carrier to a rest position on the buoyantelements 25 and the guards of the bridge brought to an upright positionwith the meeting ends of these separably fastened together, as at 28resultingin the setting up of the bridge. There is no liability of thefolding or collapsing of the carrier when afloat in a body of waterbecause the bottom in its closed position eliminates this possibility.The carrier when afloat serves as a lifesaver in that persons overboardcan clutch the carrier and by holding on be prevented from drowning orsuch persons can climb into the carrier and in this manner be heldafloat or against sinking until relief is brought to such rescuedpersons. v 1

The device is non-capsizing and maintains res cued persons thereby fromdrowning and afloat until relief is had. i

It is of course understood that the frames 2i of the bridge necessarilymust be detached, from each other at their meeting ends before'thecollapsing or folding of the carrier can be accom plished and theseframes 2| as well as the frames I! and I8 are brought to a foldedrelationship to each other in conjunction tothe folding or collapsing ofthe side walls of the body of thecar+ rier, being clearly illustrated inFigures 5 and 6 of the drawings.

The bridge of the carrier facilitates persons standing thereon ofeffecting rescue, workto others in the water, particularly. aiding inthe bringing of the rescued persons into the carrier. Thebuoyantelements .25 sustain the carrier afloat in a body of waterirrespective of the turbuf lence of such bodypf water and in theloading, of such carrier for carrying forth rescue work, it

will not become capsized even if weight is shifted from one side to theother, the carrier having the buoyant elements distributed at fourpoints thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. A lifesaving device comprising a reticulated extensible andcollapsible body having recessedcorner formations, a bridge peripherallyabout the uppermost portion of said body above the recessed cornerformations and extensible and collapsible therewith, and buoyantelements carried by the body and flexibly connected thereto for movementinto and out of the recessed corner formations and constituting supportsfor the bridge when extended.

2. A lifesaving device comprising a reticulated extensible andcollapsible body having recessed corner formations, a bridgeperipherally about the uppermost portion of said body above the recessedcorner formations and extensible and collapsible therewith, buoyantelements carried by the body and flexibly connected thereto for movementinto and out of the recessed corner formations and constituting supportsfor the bridge when extended, and means for holding the bridge in anextended condition when the body has been extended. I a 3. A lifesavingdevice comprising a reticulated extensible and' collapsible body havingrecessed corner formations, a bridge peripherally about the uppermostportion of said body' above the recessed corner formations andextensibleand collapsible therewith, buoyant elements carried by the body andflexibly connected thereto for movement into and out .of the recessedcorner formations and constituting supports for the bridge whenextended, and mea'nsfor-holding the bridge in an extended condition whenthe body has been extended, the said body being entirely open atitsupper'portion and having its walls extended upwardly with relation tothe bridge. I

4. A lifesaving device comprising a reticulated extensible andcollapsible body having recessed corner formations, a bridgeperipherally about the uppermost'portion of said body above the recessedcorner formations and extensible and collapsible'therewith, buoyantelements carried by. the body and flexibly connected thereto formovement into and out of the recessed corner formationsand constitutingsupports for the bridge-when extended, means for holding the bridge inan extended condition when the body has been extended, the said bodybeing entirely open at its uppermost portion and having its meansforholding thebridge in an extended condition when the body has beenextended, the said body being entirely open at its uppermost por-l tionand having its walls extendedupwardly with relation to, the bridge,framings for the body and bridge,and a reticulated flexible bottom forsaid 6. A'lifesaving device comprising a reticulated extensibleandcollapsiblebody having recessed corner formations for buoyantelements,an extensible bridge peripherally about the uppermost portionof said body above the recessed corner formations and extensible andcollapsible therewith, buoyant elements carried by the body and flexiblyconnected thereto for movement into and out of the recessed cornerformations and constituting supports for the bridge when extended, meansfor holding the bridge in an extended condition when the body has beenextended, the said body being entirely open at its uppermost portion andhaving its walls extended upwardly with relation to the bridge,framingsfor the body and bridge, a reticulated flexible bottom for saidbody, said body having foldable sides, and hinge connections betweensaid sides.

SIMON G. CARROLL.

